


Death of the Enemy

by Stormwriter



Series: The Underrealm [1]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Gen, I tried to write fluff, It turned into angst and hurt/comfort, Minor Original Character(s), Parental Abuse, Sympathetic Deceit Sanders, parental neglect
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-28
Updated: 2019-08-28
Packaged: 2020-09-28 12:09:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20425745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stormwriter/pseuds/Stormwriter
Summary: Roman and Patton have been inseparable for virtually forever, and they know each other like the back of their hands. Or so Roman thought, until Logan, a strange time wizard, drags him and Patton into a dangerous quest into the Underrealm, a notorious region filled with predatory plants, fairies, and other creatures. Between Patton’s disturbing familiarity with the Underrealm and the dangerous situations the group finds themselves in, it becomes clear that Patton is definitely not the only wizard on this journey holding secrets about the past.





	Death of the Enemy

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by icons made by @infinitesimally-patton, this is my entry in the 2019 Storytime! Big Bang. I hope you enjoy!

Lying on the couch with his hands beneath his head, Patton sighs. Next to him, Roman is weaving the flowers together from the forest they walked through earlier in the day, absentmindedly describing the antics of the last week. A light breeze blows through the cracked windows of the room. Patton’s grateful he remembered to open the windows before lying down. Between Roman’s fire magic and his sun magic, the young wizards would’ve naturally heated up the room to the point of boiling despite their summer tunics. Despite harnessing the power of the sun, Patton does not actually enjoy being the temperature of the sun. 

A frantic knock startles both of them, and Patton sits up to answer it. However, Roman is much faster, opening the door before Patton has even gotten up from the couch. 

“Patton, I need your- wait, who are you?” The new voice at the door sounds disgruntled and vaguely familiar to Patton. 

“Who am I?” Roman asks, irritated. “Who are you?” 

“Where’s Patton? I require his assistance. It is of the utmost importance that I-” 

“Whoa, you can’t just barge in here and-” 

Finally making it to the doorway, Patton lightly nudges Roman out of the way, revealing a familiar man wearing a dark blue tunic and glasses. While he’s definitely older and taller than the last time Patton saw him, Patton could recognize his fire-forged friend anywhere and anytime.

“Logan!” Patton says. “I haven’t seen you in forever!” Patton steps forward and wraps Logan in a quick hug, startling him. 

“Hello, Patton,” Logan says, quickly patting him on the back. 

“Wait, you guys know each other?” Roman asks. 

“Yeah!” Patton says. 

“We are formally acquainted, yes,” Logan says, pushing up his glasses. 

“Well, come on in!” Patton says, dragging Logan inside the house and to the kitchen. “It’s a long way to get here from the Immortal Vales. Do you want anything to eat or drink? You like tea, right?” Patton asks, already pulling out mugs and tea bags. 

“Well yes, but Patton, you really don’t have to-”

“Chamomile?” Patton asks, already breaking open the tea bag package. 

Logan sighs, accepting defeat and sitting at the table next to Roman. “Yes, thank you.” 

“Wait, you came from the Immortal Vales?” Roman asks. “You’re a time wizard?” 

“Yes.” 

“I thought time wizards are notorious for not exploring out of their realm,” Roman says.

“They are.” 

“So what are you doing out here?” Roman narrows his eyes. “What do you want?” 

Logan blinks, seemingly thrown off by the sudden aggression. “I assure you I mean neither you nor Patton harm. I merely came to ask Patton for his assistance in a time-sensitive emergency.” 

“What’s up?” Patton asks, setting tea in front of the other two. 

“A necromancer stole my scythe,” Logan says. “I cannot retrieve it by myself. Will you help me?” 

“Yes,” Patton says.

“No,” Roman says at the same time.

Logan glances awkwardly between the two. 

“Patton, this is crazy,” Roman says. “Dealing with necromancers means going to the Underrealm!”

“I’m aware of that, Roman.” 

“The _Underrealm_, Patton! Doesn’t that terrify you?” 

Patton shrugs. “Not really. The last time I went there, it wasn’t so bad.”

Logan coughs. 

“And on top of that,” Roman continues. “There’s- wait. When the heck did you go to the Underrealm?” 

“It’s a funny story actually. So Lo-”

Logan sighs, irritated. “We really don’t have time for this. Are you two coming or not?” 

“I am,” Patton says, standing up to grab his bag and sling it over his shoulder. “Roman, you can stay here if you truly want to. But this adventure isn’t going to be the same without my bestest friend in the world,” Patton says, making a puppy face.

“Nope,” Roman shuts his eyes tightly and crosses his arms. “Nuh-uh, I am not falling for that this time.”

“It’ll be a lot of fun!”

“Nope.” 

Patton shrugs. “It’s your call, Roman. But you’ll miss out on all the _adventures_.” He readjusts the strap of his bag and heads toward the door. “You ready to go, Logan?” 

Logan downs his tea and nods, following Patton out of the door. 

Once they’re outside, Logan arches an eyebrow. “Are you actually going to leave him here?” he asks. 

Grinning, Patton shakes his head, and puts up three fingers...then two… then one- 

“OK, FINE!” Roman yells from inside the house. “I’m coming, too, hold on!” 

Logan sends Patton an amused look while Roman scrambles to catch up to them. "What can I say?" Patton smiles. "I know my friends well."

* * *

Once again, Roman and Patton find themselves in the forest near Patton’s house. The lush, green trees loom over them, casting them in faint, yet unnerving shadows. Dead leaves crunch under their feet as they follow Logan’s brisk pace. Occasionally, Logan’s hands swatt around him haphazardly at the small bugs that sporadically fly around the trio. 

“Are there always so many bugs around here?” Logan asks, annoyed.

Roman chuckles. “Yes Logan, there tends to be bugs in nature.”

Logan scowls. 

“I thought you liked insects,” Patton says. A memory of a much younger Logan beaming at the multiple bugs crawling up his arms immediately comes to Patton's mind.

“I like _studying _insects,” Logan says. “From a distance. I’m not a fan of being up close to live specimen.” 

“So Specs,” Roman says as the trio walks. “What’s so special about this scythe that you needed to leave home, sweet home to retrieve it?”

“It’s my time scythe,” Logan says, eyes focused forward on the rays of the rapidly setting sun slitting through the trees. “It enables me to time travel and to get back to the Vales. I can’t leave this realm or this time without it.” 

“What? So you’re powerless without it?” Roman asks. “That’s kind of lame.”

Patton gasps, and Logan arches an eyebrow. “Roman!” Patton says. “Be nice!”

“It’s fine, Patton. Besides,” Logan smirks as he glances backward at Roman. “Those are rather brave words from someone who probably cannot even call on his power by himself after sunset.” 

“Logan!” Patton says. “Be nice!” 

Roman narrows his eyes at Logan. “I never told you anything about my abilities.” 

Logan rolls his eyes. “It’s not hard to decipher. You give off a similar radiant energy like Patton does, although it’s not as concentrated, and I happen to know Patton’s the only one around here with sun magic. That only leaves fire magic, whose users typically have one major weakness.” 

“Yeah, ‘typically’,” Roman says, his voice hard. “As in not always.” 

“Well, yes, obviously,” Logan says. “But it’s common enough to affect the majority, if not the entirety of all fire wizards, in addition to-”

“Wait a sec,” Patton says, suddenly stops walking, looking at their surroundings with a wary expression. While these woods may seem like a maze to anyone else, Patton has lived here for eons- he knows every path to every main exit, and yet the trees currently around him do not look familiar in the slightest.

“What’s up, Pat?” Roman asks, stopping as well. 

But Patton is staring directly at Logan. “Logan, why are you leading us the wrong way?” 

Logan’s eyes quickly glance to Patton’s before settling forward again. “This is the way we need to go.” 

“This isn’t the way to the Underrealm. I would have recognized at least some of the scenery by now. But I’m not.” Patton sighs. “Logan, you know I would do anything to help you. But you gotta stay honest with us here, buddy, so we know what we’re walking into. Where exactly are you leading us?”  
  


Scowling, Roman forms a fireball in one of his hands. “Was this all just an elaborate trap?”

“Roman,” Patton says softly. “Cool down, it’s ok. Let’s have him explain first.” 

Logan rubs the back of his head. “This isn't a trap. I sincerely need your help in retrieving my scythe from the Underrealm. However, we need to make a pitstop first. I have a friend who can navigate through the Underrealm well, and I also require his company on this quest. He lives in this direction.” 

Roman narrows his eyes while diminishing his flame. “Why didn’t you just say that up front?” 

“He uses storm magic,” Logan continues, effectively ignoring Roman, whose scowl only deepens. “And he lives quite a distance away.”

“Ok,” Patton says calmly. “Is there anything else you can tell us?” 

“Like the name of your friend?” Roman says, his tone bitter. “Or why you didn’t tell us about him before?” 

Glancing at the weaning sun rays above him, Logan scowls. “Crap. There’s no way we’re going to make it before dark.” 

“Good thing there’s no need to since we have our own handy-dandy human torch with us,” Patton says, patting Roman on the shoulder. “Roman, do you want to shed some light on the subject, here?”

Roman snaps his fingers and a small fireball forms, illuminating his palms and significantly brightening the area around the three wizards.

“So now that we have a light,” Patton says. “We can probably travel a little farther. But at some point, we will need to stop and rest for the night.” 

“We don’t have time to take a nap,” Logan says. “The longer we take in collecting my scythe, the more likely time itself will be deformed by the necromancer. ”

“For a time wizard, you’re not very patient,” Roman mutters under his breath.

Patton bites the inside of his cheek. “How much farther is it to your friend’s house, Logan?” 

“Not that far.”

“Give me an exact distance.”

“Approximately three miles.” 

“Ok. We can probably get there without stopping and _then _we are going to rest for the night, ok?” Patton says. “We’re not going to be of much help if we’re exhausted.” 

“...Fine.” 

“Is your friend going to be alright hosting two strangers unexpectedly?” Roman asks.

Logan shrugs. “Probably not. But it’s not the worst situation I’ve put him in though.” 

“What’s been the worse situation, dare I ask?” Roman says cautiously.

Logan tilts his head in thought. “Dragons.”

“Dragons?” Roman asks. “Like _dragon _dragons? That breathe fire?” 

“No, komodo dragons.” Logan rolls his eyes. “Yes, _dragons_ dragons.” 

“When the heck did you encounter dragons?” 

Logan waves his hand dismissively. “That’s not really important right now.” 

Roman’s mouth twitches. Anyone friend of Patton is a friend of Roman’s...usually. But between his lack of answering questions and his arrogance, Logan is really getting on his nerves. Too many things aren’t adding up. Time wizards rarely leave the Immortal Vales. How exactly did Logan know exactly where to find them? And why does he seem so close to Patton?

And Patton. Dearheart Patton. Why has bubbly, cheerful, wouldn't-hurt-a-fly, literally sunshine incarnate Patton gone to the Underrealm before? The same realm known for trickery and danger. And why hasn’t he told Roman before? The two have been best friends for almost all their lives, Roman would have thought they had shared all their secrets with each other already. 

Roman has definitely given virtually all of his to Patton, at least. 

* * *

Virgil watches the rain pour down on the wide fields outside his window. From his alcove, he has the perfect view of the calm fields and the storming clouds above them as well. There has always been something relaxing about rainpour for Virgil- the constant light pitter-patter of raindrops hitting his house are almost a lullaby. 

As he watches the rain, he feels light. His breathing slows, and he lays back, watching the rain fall. 

He’s tempted to fall asleep. 

Until he sees a faint yellow glow in the distance stepping out of the forest that brushes the outskirts of his fields slowing advancing on his home. 

He frowns, sighing and closing his eyes. As much as he likes hanging out with Logan (and honestly, who else would be heading to Virgil’s house in the middle of a rainstorm?), he was looking forward to a quiet, peaceful evening tonight. Visits from Logan without prior warning usually results in the opposite of that. 

There’s a knock on the door; groaning, Virgil reluctantly moves toward it. The knocking becomes incessant and frantic. 

Virgil swings the door open annoyed. “Logan, what-” 

A stranger in a yellow tunic smiles back at him. Behind him, Logan is standing near another man in red with a blazing fire in his palm. 

“Hi there! I’m Patton,” says the man in yellow. “And that’s Roman.” He points to the human glow stick. 

“Hiya,” Roman says.

Virgil glares past the two strangers straight at Logan as faint thunder roars in the distance. Virgil's tired enough that he's not sure if the thunder was natural or if it came from him. “Explain. Now.” 

“I need your help in guiding us through the Underrealm.” 

“All of you?” 

Logan nods. 

“No way.” 

Roman scowls. “Why not?” 

“Because I’m absolutely convinced you wouldn’t last five minutes.”

“We won’t,” Logan admits. “Unless we have someone who knows their way in and out.” 

“Why do you even want to go back there? It wasn’t a fond experience of yours last time I checked.” 

“Because my scythe was stolen by an Underrealm necromancer.” 

“Oh,” Virgil says, crossing his arms. “In that case, sure. That thing is super important to you, and your magic is kinda useless without it, no offense. Why didn’t you lead with that?”  
  


“Wait a sec, why does he get to say that but I can't?” Roman asks.

“Logan ignores him. “Can we stay here for the night and head out in the morning?” 

“Yeah, sure,” Virgil opens the door large enough for the others to enter. “Just next time, can I have like a 24-hour warning before you recruit me for your latest misadventure?” 

Logan chuckles. “I can try, but I’m certain we both know the likelihood of me being able to stick to that is minimal.”

* * *

“Hey Patton?” Roman whispers. Roman’s lying on his back, hands crossed behind his head, staring at the golden star ceiling stickers and most definitely not avoiding looking Patton in the eyes. The lamp in the guest bedroom the two are using for the night is turned off, but Roman can still make out a very clear Patton-shape on the bed adjacent to his. 

“Hm?” Patton asks sleepily. 

“Can I ask you something?” 

He hears Patton shuffle underneath his blankets. “Sure buddy, what’s up?” The sleepiness in Patton’s voice has instantly vanished; Roman must not have done a good job with keeping the anxiety out of his. 

“Why aren’t you scared?” 

“I don't think it's going to be that bad of a trip- as long as I don't see spiders or snakes I'm pretty sure I'll be fine." Patton tilts his head."Did you expect me to be scared?”

“Well, yeah,” Roman says. “We’re going after a _necromancer_, Patton.” 

“We are,” Patton says. “But we’re not going alone. Logan and his friend will be with us.”

“Ah yes, Mr. Evasive and his companion whose name we still don’t know.” Roman sighs. “I know you’re friends with him, but Logan is really unnerving me with all the questions he dodges around. And I’m not even sure what we’re going to encounter in the Underrealm.” 

“Well, I’ll admit I’m not sure what exactly we’ll come across either. It’s been almost 15 years since I’ve been in the Underrealm- everything there except the entrance probably has changed by now.” 

_Oh, right._ Patton has been to the Underrealm before- Roman had almost forgotten. 

Roman stares at the ceiling until he absorbs all of Patton’s words. “Wait a sec, 15 years ago, we were kids. Why the heck did you enter the Underrealm voluntarily as a child? That’s so dangerous!” 

Patton shrugs. “Logan needed some help.” 

“In the Underrealm??”

“Well, we didn’t _start _off in the Underrealm; we just ended up there.” 

“How?” 

Patton runs his hand through his hair. “Why don’t you ask Logan about that?” 

“He doesn’t seem capable to give a straight answer to save his life.” Patton chuckles lightheartedly, causing Roman to frown. 

“What, what’s so funny?” Roman asks.

Smiling, Patton shakes his head. “It’s nothing; don’t worry about it,” he says. "Have you thought that maybe there’s a reason why he’s so evasive with his statements?”

“Well yeah,” Roman says, sitting up completely. “But here’s the thing: what possible good reason could he have that he would have to keep secret?” 

“I think out of all people, you and I both know there’s plenty of good reasons to keep a secret.”

Fire flashes in Roman’s eyes. “That’s different.”

“If you say so,” Patton sighs, lying back down. “But you two are more similar than you seem to think.” 

Roman stays silent. 

“And Roman?” 

“Yes?”

“It’s ok to be scared, you know.” 

“...I never said I was scared.” 

“Alright,” Patton sighs again. “Good night, then.” 

“Night.” 

* * *

“So what’s your name, Stormy?” Roman asks Virgil as he twirls a flame around his fingers. It’s been 9 hours since Roman, Patton, and Logan first arrived at Virgil’s house, and it should be morning. 

Not that anyone could tell from the weather: the only light illuminating the looming trees around them besides Roman is the faint moonlight. Logan frowns. The necromancer has already started manipulating time, it seems. 

They really need to get going.

“Anxiety,” Virgil tells Roman, pulling Logan out of his thoughts. 

Despite himself, Logan’s mouth twitches into a smile; like Patton, Virgil on the surface doesn’t seem like he has changed much since they were kids either. He's still using the same alias he created when they met for the first time, so many years back. However, the fact that he’s willing to guide them through the Underrealm- not to mention Virgil’s typical role during Underrealm trips- makes Logan think Virgil’s grown the most out of the three of them. 

“That’s not a real name,” Roman says.

“It’s not,” Virgil admits. 

“So what’s your actual name? I mean, it’s only fair, since you already know all of ours.” 

“I know yours because you offered it, _not _because I asked for it.” 

“Well yeah, because it’s the nice thing to do when-”

Noticing the stern expression on Virgil’s face and the irritated look on Roman’s, Logan interjects. “He doesn’t like sharing his name a lot.”

“Why not?” 

Logan waves him off. “That’s not really important.”

Roman’s fire twitches, and he stops walking. “Now hold on,” he says. “There are too many things you two not explaining, and frankly it’s making me not want to trust either of you. I’m gonna need some actual freakin answers before I continue with this.” 

“Roman,” Patton says in an attempt to calm him down. 

Roman disregards him. “Someone needs to explain something or I’m going to duck out.” 

Logan bites his lip, and Virgil rolls his eyes. “Alright,” Virgil says nonchalantly. “What do you want to know?”

“Your name.”

“No. What else do you want to know?”

“What’s your deal with not sharing your name?”

“Let’s just say past experiences make me just a little bit wary of it,” Virgil says. _That’s quite an understatement, _Logan thinks. “Next question.” 

“Fine. How are you so familiar with the Underrealm?” 

“I used to live there,” Virgil says. 

“Ok,” Roman says. “How about you, Father Time?” He nudges Logan with his arm. 

Logan blinks in surprise. “Anxiety’s the Underrealm expert, not me.”

“True,” Roman says. “But you know enough about it that you’re not terrified of going there.”

“And you don’t know enough so you are?” 

Roman frowns. “I didn’t say that. I’m just trying to make sense of things here.” 

“What’s there to make sense of?” Logan asks. “It should just be a quick in and out, anyway.” 

Virgil snorts, causing Logan to give him a perplexed look. "What?" Logan asks.

“Dude, you said the same thing about the dragons.” 

“I ended up being right about that,” Logan pushes his glasses up his nose. “We were only in that realm for a few hours.”

“And we were stuck with baby dragons for like two months after that.” 

“Wait, what?” Roman asks. “You guys raised baby dragons?”

“Aww, cute!” Patton says.

“No, not cute,” Virgil says. “They were energetic, small, fire-breathing puppies that almost burned my house down on like five separate occasions!” 

“And I’m pretty sure you’ve managed to catch your own house on fire five times in the last two weeks alone,” Logan says.

“Dude, lightning on the outside of the house is _not _the same as fire inside, and you know it.” 

Roman blinks. “Wait a sec, your house got struck by lightning multiple times in one week? What happened to ‘lightning never strikes in the same place twice’?” 

“I'm guessing that expression just doesn't apply to storm wizards?” Patton says. 

“Oh, not at all,” Virgil smirks. “I also tend to bring a whole other meaning to ‘cooking up a storm.’”

Patton and Roman chuckle lightly while Logan sighs. “Those aren’t the only things specific to storm wizards,” Logan says. 

“Oh, really?” Patton asks.

“Yes.” Logan stares at Virgil, his expression stern and stressed. “They also apparently lack the ability to being time-conscious.” Ignoring Virgil’s eye roll, Logan turns to the others. “We don’t have _time _for this; we need to keep moving.” 

Logan quickens his pace, forcing the others to scramble to catch up to him. While he can't see them as he walks, he can still hear their voices softly behind him.

“Hey, what’s up with Forrest Grump?” Roman asks, still behind Logan. 

There’s a sigh. “He doesn’t like being stuck anywhere,” Virgil says. “Without his scythe, he’s essentially stranded here. My guess is it’s making him ansty.” 

Logan rolls his eyes. He is not _ansty. _He is just...concerned...over what the necromancer will do with his scythe.

The fact that if the Vales decides Logan has violated another of their regulations, they will permanently ban him from home has absolutely no play at all here. 

Ok, he may be a bit antsy.

Despite the Vales’ backward policy toward foreigners and the widespread, complete disinterest in exploring and interacting with the rest of the world, it’s still Logan's home. He doesn't want to lose it forever.

And if he doesn’t get his scythe back soon, he just might. 

He starts walking even faster. 

Lost in his thoughts, Logan doesn’t notice one of the others has caught up to him until someone bumps his shoulder. Startled, Logan looks up to a concerned Virgil. 

“Hey, you ok?” Virgil asks. 

“I am adequate.”

Virgil stares at him incredulously.

“What?” Logan frowns.

“I’m calling BS on that one,” Virgil says. “You’re speed-walking, dude, and you usually don't have that short of a fuse.” 

“I don't see your point,” Logan says. 

“My point is you're about as high-strung as a violin right now, which is not normal at all, so something's up with you.” Virgil’s eyes glance behind them for a moment before facing Logan again. “Also, you're going the wrong way.” 

_What? _Logan whirls around. Roman and Patton are sitting down paces away, near a river. 

Logan must have been so absorbed in his thoughts, he accidentally trailed off course.

“You took a left at the riverbed; we needed to take a right,” Virgil continues. 

“Ah, I see,” Logan says, turning back to Virgil, yet not meeting his eyes. “My mistake. I apologize.”

“Yeah.” Virgil is studying him, Logan can _feel _it, but he can't bring himself to face the laser focus of Virgil’s eyes. “You're usually not that scatter-brained. What's up?”

Logan sighs, raising his eyes to Virgil’s. “I’m on the Vales’ last nerve.”

Virgil snorts. “Yeah, what’s new?” 

“No,” Logan shakes his head.”I mean I’m _really _on the Vales’ last nerve right now. As in if I cause another incident, they will permanently expatriate me, in addition to other things.” 

“But it's not your fault your scythe got stolen.”

“If an outsider enters the Vales, everyone else is going to see it as my fault.” 

“Well, that’s because they’re a group of dense, egocentric hermits.”

Logan’s mouth twitches into a smile. “That may be so,” Logan says. “But they unfortunately have total jurisdiction over the matter.” 

“Then we just need to get your scythe back before they notice anything.”

“Because that’s so easy to do when it’s held hostage by the Underrealm necromancer.”

“I never said it was going to be easy,” Virgil shrugs. “None of the situations you drag me into ever are. But we’re going to do it together, like always. And in the meantime, you have to try not to drown in your head.” His face softens. “Usually you’re the one telling me that."

* * *

“Here we are,” Virgil says as a large, wooden bridge over a river becomes visible in the distance. An ominous mist hangs over them, making it difficult to see further than the bridge even with Roman’s fire glowing. "That's the entrance to the Underrealm."

“Great, let’s go!” Roman says, taking a step forward until Virgil throws a hand up in front of him. 

“Hold up!” Virgil says. “We gotta set up some ground rules first. Rule number one: no one goes off on their own, no matter what you think you see. This place has a habit of messing with your head when you're not careful, and the rules of life are different here. Rule number two: don't give out your-” Virgil blinks as Roman’s light quickly fades out, casting the group in complete darkness. 

“Uh, Roman?” Logan asks. “We need that light.” 

“Yeah, I know,” Roman’s voice is strained. “Hold on.” Roman snaps his fingers. Nothing illuminates. He tries again, but the same results occur. He curses.

“Did you run out of energy or something?” Virgil asks. 

“No,” Roman says. “Give me a minute. In the meantime, Patton, do you mind being the human torch for a bit?”

The group stays in silence and darkness for a few moments- Patton never answers.

Roman’s eyes widen at the lack of response from the sun wizard. “Patton, buddy?” 

Still no answer. 

“_Patton??” _Roman yells. 

“Maybe he just simply wandered off?” Logan asks. 

“When it’s pitch black around us?” Virgil says.

“Patton?!” Roman yells, completely ignoring the other two, the anxiety from last night immediately back in his voice at full force. 

There's a soft giggle that sounds enough like Patton that Roman spins around to the source, Anxiety and Logan following his gaze. 

In the distance, there is a barely visible wooden bridge, lighted by the now glowing sun wizard and the smaller glowing sphere that appears to be blocking Patton from going across the bridge. 

While Virgil and Logan tense, Roman sighs in relief. He knows from experience that if Patton is still laughing, he’s ok. Even though it was only a moment, losing Patton in the dark was terrifying. 

“Crap!” Virgil sprints to the bridge, Logan shortly behind him. Confused and emotionally tired, Roman runs after them. 

* * *

“Aw, oh my gosh!” Patton says to the fairy floating in front of him. “Aren’t you the cutest thing _ever_!”

“Flattery will get you nowhere,” the glowing fairy says as she crosses her arms over her green and gold dress. “But thank you. I’m the guard of this bridge, and I’m afraid I can’t let you across without you paying the toll.” 

“Oh,” Patton frowns. “Sorry, I don’t have any money on me. But my friends and I really need to pass through here to retrieve something.” 

“Well, I’m not supposed to let you go without collecting payment,” she says. “But I’ll let you pass on one condition: can I have your name?” 

“Oh yeah, sure,” Patton says. “My name is-” 

An arm wraps around Patton’s shoulders, pulling him away from the fairy, and Patton turns to a frazzled-looking, out-of-breath, storm wizard. 

“Sunshine!” Anxiety shouts to the fairy. “His name’s Sunshine.” 

Patton tilts his head in confusion at Anxiety while the fairy frowns. “That’s not a name.” 

“It’s what I’ve been calling him, so it counts.” Anxiety smirks. “You require a name for payment, and you retrieved one. Now you've got to let us pass now, Juniper.” 

“I need a name for each person, Anxiety,” Juniper says, narrowing her eyes.

Anxiety looks behind him to Logan and Roman still running toward the bridge, Roman’s light enlightening and gradually brightening once he gets close enough to Patton and Anxiety. Shoot!, Patton thinks. Apparently he accidentally got much farther away from Roman than he thought. 

“Ok,” Anxiety points to Roman. “So that’s Princey,” he says. “And you already know Wanderer.” 

Juniper scowls. “Fine.” She floats over to the handrail of the bridge. “You may pass.” 

Once Logan and Roman make it to the bridge, Logan immediately starts crossing. After gently nudging Patton and Roman closer to the bridge and away from Juniper, Anxiety takes the rear. 

Patton sends a questioning look to Roman. _Are you ok?_

Roman responds with a quick, constrained smile before looking straight ahead again. _I’m fine. _

Roman doesn't even need to speak for Patton to hear the lie.

While crossing the bridge, Patton feels a wave of palpable energy pass through him, making him shudder. _Magic, _Patton realizes immediately. There must be some magical enhancement over the Underrealm’s borders. He looks around at the others; Roman and Logan seem not to notice, still looking straight ahead as they walked. Anxiety, walking closely behind the group Patton notices, has a slight twitch in his hands, which grows until he passes the spot that Patton had felt the magic. _He can feel it too. _Patton makes a mental note to ask Anxiety about the magic on the bridge later as he continues to walk. 

Anxiety quickly crosses the bridge, following closely behind the group. He stops walking once he gets off the bridge and walks over to Patton and Roman. “So as I was saying before,” he starts. “Don’t give out your _actual _names to anyone here; there are fairies everywhere.” 

“What’s so bad about fairies?” Roman asks. 

“If you give a fairy your name, they own it, and you. You would be stuck doing whatever they want virtually forever.” 

“So that’s why you gave the fairy nicknames,” Patton says.

Virgil nods. “As long as they never hear your true name, nicknames work just fine. They help you get past guards like Juniper without actually giving up your name.” 

Roman’s eyes widen. “Why didn’t you warn us about that in the first place?”

“I was trying to until _somebody _wandered off.” Anxiety says, looking at Patton. 

_Oops._ Patton looks down. “Sorry. I didn't run into any fairies the last time I was here- I didn't know.” 

Anxiety sighs. “It’s fine. I somewhat expected anyone else who’s managed to befriend him,” he says motioning to Logan, “has to be another wanderer.” 

“Wanderer? That’s what you called Specs earlier.” Roman says. 

“Yeah, because he has a habit of wandering off without warning to explore new places.”  
  


Patton smiles. “Yeah, that does sound like him.”

Logan rolls his eyes. “I get lost _one time _during my-”

“Two times,” Anxiety corrects.

“I get lost _two times _during my youth, and you never let me down.” 

“Because it’s never not funny, my friend.” 

Logan scowls, and Anxiety playfully nudges his arm, his expression softening. “I’m just messing with you, dude. Your curiosity honestly isn’t a bad thing, I promise; it just sometimes gets us into interesting situations.” 

“Is that why you’re the only time wizard that’s actually left the Immortal Vales?” Roman asks. “Because of your curiosity?” 

Logan scratches his neck. “I’m not the only time wizard who’s been out of the Vales.” 

“You’re the only one I’ve seen.” 

Logan pushes his glasses up his nose. “Anyway, we really need to get going. It’s only a matter of time until the necromancer figures out how to use my scythe and time itself is altered.” 

“How hard could it possibly be to use a scythe?” Roman asks. 

“When it's not yours, and it's a magical, temperamental one, it is quite difficult.” 

“Temperamental? Is it sentient?” 

Logan sighs while Anxiety snorts. “Well, not exactly,” Logan starts. “It’s-”

“Time scythes take after the nature of their owners,” Anxiety says. 

  
“Falsehood,” Logan says. “That is an oversimplification of time scythes.” He glares at Anxiety. “And I am not _temperamental_.” 

“I know a certain music wizard that would disagree with you,” Anxiety says in a sing-song voice. “And a water witch. And two dragons, at least three fairies,” he begins counting on his fingers. 

“Shut up.” 

“-Pretty sure that those shapeshifters we ran into a few weeks ago would side with me on this as well. Also, there’s those-”

“Shut up!” Logan yells. Startled, Anxiety’s mouth snaps shut, his demeanor sobering up immediately. 

Patton and Roman exchange concerned looks. 

“Hey buddy, let’s just take a moment to calm down,” Patton says, slowly approaching Logan.

“No shh,” Logan says. “_Listen.” _

The four stand in silence for a moment, aware of the slight breeze flowing through the trees and faint rustling of leaves. Roman’s fire crackles in the silence. 

“Um,” Roman says. “What exactly are we supposed to be listening for?” 

“You don’t hear that rattling from there?” Logan whispers, pointing to their general left. Patton and Roman shake their heads. “Seriously?” 

“I hear it.” Anxiety runs his hand through his hair as he looks around at the surroundings and sighs. “Crap. We gotta go, now. Come on.” He starts running in the opposite direction that Logan pointed in, Logan following shortly behind. 

“What are they even running from?” Roman asks.

Patton shrugs. “I don’t know, but I know those two have a better understanding of this realm than we do, so I trust them,” he says as he runs after them.   
  
“Of course you do,” Roman mutters. _Jeez, what exactly did I get myself into? _Roman thinks as he follows the group.

* * *

Virgil should have seen it coming. They're going after the _necromancer _in the _Underrealm_, for goodness sake. 

“What are we even running from?” Roman shouts. 

“Skeleton soldiers!” Virgil shouts back. 

“What?!” 

“Skeleton soldiers!”

“Those aren’t a myth?” Patton asks. 

“Nope!” Virgil says.

“But he didn’t have a skeleton army last time we were here!” Logan says.

“He didn’t have a skeleton army last time _you _were here,” Virgil corrects. “A lot of things change in the Underrealm when you’re gone for a while. Just like our magic gets stronger, so does his. I don’t understand why he would this, though.”

“Wait a sec, what ‘he’ are we talking about here?” Roman asks. 

“The necromancer!” Virgil says. 

“I don’t know his true name,” Logan says. “But he goes by-”

“Crap!” Virgil freezes in his tracks, his hands immediately flying out to hold Patton and Logan back. 

“Whoa!” 

“What?”

Patton and Logan stop walking, Roman short behind them.

“What, what is it now?” he complains. 

Virgil shushes them, eyeing their surroundings, trying to conjure up a plan. Every direction he looks there are faint glowing red eyes of the skeleton soldiers in the distance. Skeleton soldiers, while abnormally strong, don’t have the best eyesight, so as long as they stay still and silent-

Movement to the right catches Virgil’s eye, and his focus shifts and he winces. A snake is slithering across the forest floor, and he cringes. Snakes have never been his favorite animal, and if his hunch is right, Patton doesn’t enjoy them either. As long as no one points it out to him, they should be fine. 

“Is...is that a snake?”

_***Dang it, Logan!_

Patton shrieks in fear. “Snake? Where?!” 

The red skeleton eyes focus on the four wizards and start approaching, their rattling bones increasing in volume with every step. 

Instinctively, Virgil throws his hand straight up in the air. Dark clouds quickly cover the sky, and lightning crackles, traveling down from the clouds to Virgil’s arm. Virgil throws his hand out in front of the soldiers, directing the lightning to strike throughout their ranks. 

Thoroughly electrocuted, the soldiers are thrown into complete disarray. 

“Scatter!” Virgil yells. 

And scatter the group does: Virgil and Patton run in one direction while Roman and Logan run in the other in their attempts to run away from the skeletons.

* * *

“I’m blaming this on you entirely, by the way,” Roman says as he trails behind Logan in the forest. 

Logan rolls his eyes. “While I will admit losing the others is unfortunate, I have already explained multiple times that no one is at fault for it. None of us were aware of that a small cluster of skeleton soldiers would be along the path.”

“I still blame you.” 

Logan sighs, glancing back at Roman before proceeding forward through the green foliage. “I’m getting the impression you have some sort of grudge against me, and I do not understand why. I have not brought any harm to you or your friend before.” 

“You literally pulled both of us into the Underrealm.” 

“I asked for your assistance; no one forced you to come,” Logan corrects. 

“Well, I wasn’t going to let Pat-” Logan gives Roman an alarmed look, startling Roman into silence. “What?”

“We can’t use our real names here,” Logan says. “Remember?” 

“Ok, well I couldn’t let _Sunshine _come here all on his own. Is that better, _Wanderer_?”

Logan rolls his eyes. “Just because Anxiety calls me that does not mean I would like you to make a habit of it as well.” 

“But it irritates you, which is so much fun.” 

“I do not understand why antagonizing me is so enjoyable to you.” 

“Well, let’s see,” Roman says, stopping his walking completely. “You come out of completely nowhere asking for help retrieving an object that involves entering the most dangerous realm in the wizardry world, then lied about which direction it was in so you could lead us to Anxiety’s house-”

“Because the Underrealm is difficult to navigate unless you have someone familiar with the area, like Anxiety is,” Logan interrupts, turning around to face Roman again.

Fire flashes in Roman’s eyes. “Oh, hold your horses, Father Time, I’m not done yet. And both you and Anxiety have been incredibly sketchy, and I know you two aren’t being entirely truthful and honestly, I trust both of you as far as I can throw you.” 

“Princey.”

“And now apparently there’s a friggin skeleton army after us because you managed to not only get your stupid sentient magic scythe stolen, but you also managed to get us three tangled up into your mess as well-”

“Princey.”

“And to top it all off, you’re a stinkin time wizard, which is the sketchiest thing ever, as I have never even heard of a time wizard leaving the Vales voluntarily before, and-”

“Princey!”

“What!?” 

“Look down.”

Roman does, and he shrieks. Thick green vines have ensnared both his and Logan’s legs, preventing them from moving. “Get it off, get it off, get if off!” His hands fumble in their attempt to unravel himself. 

Logan, unlike Roman, has become still, closing his eyes. With his hands clenched by his sides, he inhales and exhales slowly. The vines around him loosen, and Logan wiggles himself out of the entanglement. 

“Logan!” In his panic, Roman forgets to not use any real names, solely focused on the vines that are now progressing to tangle his arms as well. “Logan, help me, _please_!” 

“Ok ok, shh,” Logan says, “Just take a deep breath. I'm not leaving you here alone, I promise, but you have to calm down before the hallucinations start.” 

“_What?!” _

Logan blinks as Roman’s movements only become more frantic. “Hey, they’re just panic vines, they’ll release you if you decrease your heart rate enough.” 

“Panic vines?!”

“Magic plants that feed off of fear and anxiety,” Logan explains. “They can’t hurt you physically.” 

“‘Physically’?_ Why did you specify_ _physically_?” 

“Um…”  
  


“Logan, I swear, if you don’t just give me a straight answer for once…”

“Just remember that past memories can’t hurt you unless you let them.” 

_What?!”_

With that, Roman’s vision fades into black.

* * *

“I think we’ve finally lost them,” Anxiety says as he looks over his shoulder into the darkness behind them. “I don’t see any glowing eyes anymore.” 

“Finally!” Patton sighs, immediately dropping to the leaf-covered ground in relief, thoroughly exhausted. His legs ache, burning from the running he and Anxiety had just done. 

“You ok?” Anxiety asks.

“Yeah,” Patton says, watching as Anxiety sits down next to him. “Just drained. That was a way more stressful situation I was anticipating.” 

Anxiety chuckles humorlessly. “You’re telling me. I had totally forgot about the skeleton soldiers here.” 

“Do you think the coast is clear?” Patton asks. 

Anxiety glances behind them once more. “Yeah, we should be good.”

“Sweet!” Patton closes his eyes. Concentrating, he slowly allows the radiant energy he had been containing to be released. Hearing Anxiety gasp, he opens his eyes to a wide eyed storm wizard. 

“What?” Patton asks. 

“You're glowing,” Anxiety says in amazement. “You’re literally glowing.”

“Yeah, Princey and I tend to do that,” Patton says grinning. 

“I know he did since we've been using his fire as a light, I just didn't know you did as well.”

“You don't remember the bridge?”

“I was preoccupied with dealing with Juniper. I wasn't really paying attention to anything else other than making sure you were safe.”

“That's fair,” Patton says. “And thank you for that. I really didn't mean to trouble you so much.”

“It’s fine,” Anxiety says nonchalantly. “Wanderer tends to get me into precarious situations just by himself.”

A light prick on his upper arm stings Patton. Keeping his eyes on Anxiety, he absentmindedly swats his hand at the area. 

“And I should have known guiding him along with two newcomers into the Underrealm would be a bit more challenging,” Anxiety continues. “Especially two fire wizards.” 

The words come out of his mouth before Patton can stop himself. “I’m not a fire wizard.” ..._Crap. _

“Wait, what? But you have radiant energy like Princey- I can feel it. And you have a ton of it.”

“Yes...”

“And you can produce light.”

“Yes...”

“So what type of magic do you have if not fire?”

“Fire isn’t the only form light can take, Mr. Lightning,” Patton says with a lopsided smile. 

“Ok, but you don’t have storm magic either,” Anxiety says. “Since I would definitely be able to sense that as well. So what type of magic do you have?”

“Hey, why are fire wizards especially difficult to get through the Underrealm?” Patton asks, desperate to change the subject. Although he somehow let it slip out that he doesn’t have fire magic, that does not mean he is willing to admit he has sun magic. 

“The nights here tend to mess with their magic, even more so than nights in their natural realm. Having a frustrated wizard who can control fire with their mind doesn’t tend to end well for anyone.” 

“Is it because of the magical barrier around the realm?” Patton asks, remembering the peculiar force he felt across the bridge. “Does it block out the sun’s radiance?”

“You were able to feel that?” Anxiety asks, surprised. “That’s pretty impressive- I don’t know many others who can, besides myself. But yeah, it blocks out a lot of the sun, among other things.” 

“Like what?”

“Like the spi- wait a sec.” Anxiety blinks. “Weren't we just talking about what type of magic you have?”

“Nope,” Patton says. “You were trying to guess what magic I have. I was just informing you of when you were incorrect.” 

“Do you want to tell me what the correct guess would be?”

“But that would take the _fun _out of the game,” Patton says, smiling. _And give me less time to think something up, _he thinks. He hates the idea of lying to his new friend, but the idea of something besides Roman and Logan knowing he has sun magic…. _terrifies _him. Just having his two best friends knowing something so integral to who he is makes him feel uneasy sometimes, despite knowing neither of them care about the implications.

A rare smile slowly grows on Anxiety’s face, pulling Patton out of his thoughts. “Ok, I’ll bite. So a magic that produces light and radiant energy that isn't fire or storm magic... Electricity?”

“Nope.”

Anxiety tilts his head in thought. “Bioluminescence?” 

Patton chuckles. “I’m a wizard, not a firefly.”

“Technological?”

“Isn’t that basically the same as electricity?”

“I’m kinda running out of options here, haha.”

“Because you’re thinking too hard,” Patton giggles. “Come on, what creates the most light in the galaxy?” _Oh my gosh, why can’t I keep my mouth shut?? _

“Well, the sun but … you can’t be a sun wizard,” Anxiety says. 

“Oh?” Patton smiles innocently. “And why is that?”

Anxiety furrows his eyebrows. “Because there’s no sun wizards anywhere near here- the last family of them left over 20 years ago.” 

“True, but it’s closer to 25years ago,” Patton says. “And you let out one little important detail.” ***_Oh my god, shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! _“Not that I blame you, not a lot of people know about this little ..._problem_ they left.” 

“What are you talking about?”

“See, before they bolted, they packed up and took everything they had with them,” Patton’s smile dies instantly. “Except for one little kid: me. They left me behind...for some reason.” _Oh my god, why can’t I shut up?! And now, I’m crying, great. _He chuckles humorlessly, his hand wiping the tear tracks on his face as his vision blurs. “I guess they just didn’t want me. Maybe they thought I was annoying or too weird, I know a lot of people tend to think I'm annoying because I get distracted easily, and I can't control my magic all the time, but I try to! I’m always trying! But it’s _hard! _It’s exhausting! It’s horrible! And I always tell people that, that it feels like hell and it hurts but I’m _trying _but they never _believe _me, no matter what I _do _and-”

As he rambles, Patton watches the blurry figure of Anxiety slowly approaching him carefully, like he is a wild, injured animal. “Why are you telling me this?” Anxiety asks, his voice soft.  
  


“No clue, I didn’t mean to, I didn’t _want _to, it just came into my mind and I couldn’t stop talking even though I want to I just keep on talking and-”

“Hey, it’s ok,” Anxiety says. “I’m sorry you had to experience this- it’s never pleasant to be forced to do anything, especially when it’s something you weren’t ready to share. And I’m sorry for this, too.”

“For what?” Patton asks, before Anxiety dashes toward him, and there’s a light burning sensation on his arm, like a band-aid being ripped off fast. “OW!” 

Blinking rapidly to clear his eyes, Patton sees the long brown bug now in Anxiety’s hands before he throws it to the ground and steps on it. “Stupid bug,” he mutters. Turning back to Patton, his gaze softens. “I’m really sorry- I should have noticed that earlier.”

“What- what _was _that?” Patton asks.

“A cicada.” 

“I know cicadas. Cicadas are harmless, ugly bugs. _That wasn’t a cicada_.”

“It was a candor cicada,” Anxiety explains.

“What's the difference?”

“Normal cicadas aren't parasites whose bite makes people say every little thought that pops into their mind.”

“That's very…” Patton trails off, trying to find the right word.

“Invasive and terrifying?”

“...Yeah.” Patton curls into himself, pulling his knees to his chest. “I just...I couldn’t stop talking…” Despite his efforts, his eyes start watering up again. “...That was horrible…”

“Yeah,” Anxiety sighs. “Yeah it was. I truly am sorry that I didn’t see it earlier.” Anxiety sits himself down next to Patton. “I should have had my guard up. I wish you didn’t have to experience that.”

Patton sobs, burying his head into his arms.

“I won’t tell the others anything, by the way. Not unless you want me to,” Anxiety pauses. “Is it ok if I ask you something? You don’t have to answer if it makes you uncomfortable or anything.”

Patton slightly lifts his head so he can look at Anxiety, a silent permission to continue.

“It hurts when you don’t release your magic?”

Patton nods. 

“When you release it, you just seem to glow; that doesn’t seem so bad. So why contain it in the first place?”

“Anyone familiar with fire magic knows the differences between fire and sun magic. And literally everyone knows that there’s no sun wizard families left where Roman and I live. People tend to either treat me like an outsider, since it’s so uncommon that there’s a wizard without the same magic type family, and it’s ...unnerving. I know I’m a freak, but I don’t like being treated like a one.” Patton sighs. “...And I don’t always just glow ...when I completely release my magic.” 

“What do you mean?” Anxiety asks. Patton grimaces, and he backtracks. “Never mind, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to.” 

“I don't want to.”

“That’s fine.” Anxiety glances out to the distance before turning back to Patton. “We really should try finding the others soon. I don’t really trust them to stay out of trouble.”

“Ok,” Patton sniffs. 

Anxiety stands up, throwing his hands upward to stretch, before sticking his hand out to Patton. After he grabs it, Anxiety gently pulls Patton to his feet. “Also, if you’re a freak, so am I.”

Patton stares at him in confusion.

“I’m the only storm wizard here- in or out of the Underrealm,” Anxiety explains. “So if being the only wizard with a magic type makes you a freak, we’re both freaks. You’re not as alone as you think you are.” 

Patton smiles, blinking in an attempt to clear away the tears that are suddenly clouding his sight again. 

Anxiety’s eyes widen as the tears begin to fall. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you more upset!” 

Patton shakes his head, wiping away his tears. “No, you didn’t make me upset. That was just kinda sweet.”

“Oh.”

“You’re kinda a sweet guy, under the perpetually annoyed persona you make.” 

“Shh, don’t tell the others, I have a front to maintain,” Anxiety jokes. 

“Speaking of the others, how are we going to find them?” Patton asks. 

A loud, terrified, very Roman-sounding-like shriek answers him. 

Both Patton’s and Anxiety’s eyes grow wide in concern, and the two rush toward the direction of the screaming.

* * *

Through unshed tears, Roman stares at the unlit candlestick set before him on the table. He snaps his fingers again and again to no avail. Very faint moonlight seeping in the window from across the room, casting shadows on the old man sitting at the table. 

“Come on, Roman,” the man says in a deceivingly calm voice, giving Roman goosebumps. “I know you're tired. All you have to do is ignite the flame on your own, and then you can go to bed.” 

“But I _can’t_.” 

“No, you just won’t.”

Roman shakes his head. “I’m trying, I swear I am.” 

“All of your brothers could do this exercise when they were eight; you’re eleven. You should be able to complete this by now.” 

Roman bites back a sob. He’s trying his best, but he’s exhausted; his eyes burn from lack of sleep, and there's a pounding headache slowly growing in his head. 

He just wants to go to bed. 

“I’m sorry,” Roman cries. “I can’t. I’m not able to use my magic after sundown. I’m not that strong yet.” 

The man stands up, blocking off all moonlight seeping in the window, forming a long, ominous shadow. “Maybe you need to be properly motivated.” He snaps his fingers, the candle in front of Roman instantly igniting. 

Blinded, Roman instinctively closes his eyes. 

“Roman,” the man says. “Open your eyes, little light.” 

Roman does, immediately jumping out of his chair and backing up. In mere moments, the lone candlelight has burst into a fiery wall along the length of the table and floor. Despite backing up to the wall, he can still feel the scorching waves of heat on his face. 

“What- what are you doing?” Roman asks, his voice trembling. “Mom says we’re not supposed to create fire indoors! It’s dangerous!” 

“Your mom says a lot of things. If it’s so dangerous, distinguish it with your own fire!” 

“I can't!” Roman cries. “I’m sorry! I'm not like my brothers. I'm not like you, Grandpa.”

Narrowing his eyes, as the fire crackles mere feet from Roman’s face, Grandpa Norman stares at Roman in silence. 

“Grandpa, please! Put out the fire- I’m scared!”

“No,” he finally agrees. “No, you’re not like us. You’re weak, and the worst part is you don’t even try to hide your fear.” 

Norman thrusts his palm in Roman's direction, and as the fire wall storms toward Roman, he screams.

* * *

Logan internally curses as Roman’s eyes roll back into his head, and as Roman faints, Logan dives to catch him, slowing lowering him to the ground.

“Come on, please,” Logan begs. “Open your eyes, Princey.” Logan tugs on the vines still wrapped Roman’s legs, hard, but they don’t budge. _Ok, Plan B. _Carefully, Logan puts his hands under Roman’s arms, half sitting him up, and tries to pull him away with all his strength.

The vines still hold.

Stumped, Logan lies Roman back down flat on the ground, settles himself next to him, and thinks. If he had a knife, this would be easy, but he doesn’t have _anything _on his person. If he hadn’t been separated from Patton, he could use the knife in Patton’s bag. If he hadn’t had his scythe stolen, he could easily use his magic. But he doesn’t have anything and he can’t do any- _wait._

Logan looks down to the panic vine that has wrapped itself around his foot. _Well, that explains that. _Concentrating on his breath, he forces himself to calm down until the vine loosens its grip and lets go. 

_If only getting Roman out of the vines were as easy as that, _Logan thinks looking at his surroundings again. _Hm, maybe I could get him out by-_

Logan’s thoughts are brought to a halt by a terrified scream. Immediately, his attention is back to Roman. With tears coming through his still closed eyes, Roman is howling, still caught up in the panic vine’s hallucinations. 

_Damn it! _Logan uselessly tries to tug Roman out of the vines to no avail, completely absorbed in attempting to free the unconscious wizard. 

The approaching footsteps catch Logan off guard, and he flinches, immediately jumping in front of Roman, only relaxing once he realizes it’s only Virgil and Patton.

“What happened? Why is he screaming?” Virgil yells at Logan over Roman’s bawling while Patton immediately goes digging into his bag.

“He got caught in panic vines. I can’t get them off.” Before Logan can even ask for help, Patton is bringing his knife to the vines. Virgil and Logan pull Roman away from the vines, and Roman’s screams slowly dissolve into sobs. 

In the absence of the screaming, Logan realizes Patton’s eyes are puffy and red, like he was crying.

“Hey,” Logan says, tapping Patton. “What’s wrong?”

Patton smiles humorlessly. “I’m getting deja vu here,” he says, avoiding the question. “Having a fun trip down memory lane.” 

Virgil, who has turned around from the group, probably to double check if Roman’s screaming has attracted any unwanted visitors, turns back to Patton for a moment, frowning. “What do you mean?”

“Well, when we were younger, Wanderer got-” 

“It’s not really important,” Logan quickly says. _What was with his friends bringing up his embarrassing stories today?!_

Virgil raises an eyebrow, seemingly wanting to ask more, but lets it drop for the moment, deciding to study the still unconscious Roman. 

“Shouldn’t he have woken up by now?” Logan asks. 

“No.”

“No.”

Patton and Virgil exchange looks, both caught off guard at answering in sync. 

Patton coughs. “When I cut you out of the vines, you took a few minutes to wake up.” He says to Logan, frowning. “But you also didn’t scream."

"Wait a sec," Virgil says. "You two have been in the Underrealm together before?

Patton glances questioningly at Logan, who nods. 

"Yup!" Patton says. "He's got a small habit of losing his scythe a lot."

“I do not!” Logan says. “I lose my scythe _one time_-”

“Two times.” Patton corrects.

“_-two times,_ but that doesn’t mean I’m careless with my scythe.” There is muffled laughter, but Logan ignores them. “In addition, one of those times it was stolen from me.”

“And the other time?” Virgil asks.

Logan is saved from answering due to Roman waking up gasping. 

* * *

As soon as Patton sees Roman sit up, he crounches into Roman’s sight of view. Roman’s eyes are unfocused, his body slightly shaking and curling into himself. This was nothing like Logan’s reaction to the panic vines: Logan’s reaction from escaping the vines was merely disorientation. Roman looks absolutely terrified. 

“Hey, buddy,” Patton says softly. Roman’s eyes immediately fly to Patton’s.

“Where is he?” Roman asks in a quiet, hoarse voice, probably after screaming for so long. 

“Where is who?” Patton asks gently.

“He was just here. And there was this wall of f-” Roman trails off as he absorbs his surroundings.

“You got wound up in some panic vines,” Patton says, hoping to ground Roman. “The vines feed off fear from recreating memories in their victims.” 

Roman is eerily silent.

"The vines when recreating the memory also create phantom physical sensations in addition to the initial emotional reaction the memory had. It can be a little disorientating at first, but it's ok. 

Roman tries to stand up, but falters, falling back to his hands and knees. Patton reaches out a hand, only for Roman to push his arm away. 

“I’m fine,” Roman spits out roughly. “Let’s keep going.” 

“How about we just take a breather before moving on?” Logan suggests, surprising Patton- Logan is typically finicky about wasting time to the point he never wants any delays, especially when he’s in the middle of getting his scythe back. 

“We don’t have time to just sit here,” Roman says, struggling to stand up again. Patton doesn’t try to help this time. “Let's just go find this stupid necromancer."

Patton sees Logan and Anxiety exchange glances in the corner of his eye. Patton has only seen Roman like this- trembling, terrified, and unwilling to acknowledge it- once, when Patton had come back home from the Underrealm when he and Roman were younger. Something had happened that terrifies and paralyzes Roman so much he wouldn't share it with anyone. _Roman, _Patton thinks._ Just what have you gone though? And how do I help?_

“Princey,” Logan says more gently than Patton would have expected from him. “We can stay here and recover for a bit.”

“I don’t need to recover, I’m fine,” he says. "Plus you're always saying we're wasting too much time, anyways. So let’s go.” He glares at the others, daring them to argue. 

"Buddy,” Patton tries again. “Are you sure-?"

"I'm fine! Leave me alone!" Roman yells, fires suddenly shooting violently from his clenched fists and his hair.

Patton flinches back from Roman wide-eyed, so startled by the shout he takes a few steps away. Patton has seen Roman angry, he has seen Roman yell, but Roman has never yelled in anger at Patton before. 

Patton has never been in this situation before- he doesn't know how to laugh his way out of this one. 

Roman sighs. "I'm fine," he repeats, now in a constrained calm voice, the fiery blaze diminished. 

There’s a heavy moment of silence. Logan is completely still, Virgil is fiddling with his hands, and Patton doesn’t seem to be able to look anyone in the eyes. 

An eternity passes before anyone speaks. “What direction do we need to go from here, Anxiety?” Logan asks. Logan has collected himself, it seems. At yet Patton can’t do the same with himself.

As Anxiety leads the group away, Patton’s virtually one step behind him. Patton is the best at calming down nerves, at negotiating. He should be doing so many things right now. He should be still trying to help Roman and check in on Logan and probably see if Anxiety is alright as well.

But he’s overwhelmed and at a complete loss at what to do.

So he walks silently behind Anxiety, wishing he was stronger than he is.

* * *

The silence is heavy and deafening as Virgil leads the other wizards through their path- Virgil and Patton in the front with Logan and Roman trailing behind. Even through the night- or what appeared to be night, the normal cycle of day and night have been so distorted even Logan is having trouble keeping track of what time of day it should be- Patton and Roman have barely said five words between the two of them. 

Patton is still carrying himself so defensively- hugging and curling into himself, giving the appearance that he's much smaller than he actually is. It's heart wrenching. 

Logan can’t stand seeing his friend hurt any longer; he stops walking and motions for Roman to do the same.

"What?" Roman asks, prompting Patton and Virgil to stop and turn around. 

"How about you two go up ahead for a bit, and Princey and I will catch up later?” 

Virgil studies Logan’s face for a beat before shrugging. “Fine with me,” he says. “Don’t stay behind for too long.”

Patton’s eyes dart quickly up to Roman and Logan, then back down again. “Just be careful,” he says. 

Patton and Virgil walk on, leaving Roman and Logan alone.

“What do you want?” Roman asks tiredly.

"I know you don’t like me, but I need to listen to me. You really need to talk to Patton- you hurt him and you need to apologize.”

“I didn’t mean to hurt him.”

“I don’t care that you didn't mean to,” Logan says. “You did, and now you have to deal with the consequences.” He sighs. "I don't know what your deal is, or what you experienced before the Underrealm or even in the panic vines. But your outburst yesterday added to your inability to acknowledge your fear is becoming a nonignorable, significant problem. Not dealing with your emotions and pushing out people trying to help isn’t a real solution here.”

"Why is it so bad to admit when you're scared?"

Roman stares at Logan, unanswering and terrified.

“Like I said, I don’t know you or what you experienced, but I know Patton. He always wants to help people, especially people he’s close to. He cares about you, a lot, and he’s a much better help than me on things like this- he would actually know to say in situations like this. Which is why you talk to him. You don’t have to tell him everything. Small progress would still be progress.”

* * *

Virgil doesn’t know what Logan told Roman, but whatever he said, it was super effective. He initially wasn’t very keen on being left alone with a downhearted Patton- cheering people up is not his forte- but a few humorous anecdotes about misadventures he’s had and Patton looks a little alive again. 

Soon enough, Roman and Logan catch up, Roman looking apprehensive. 

"Sunshine," Roman says. "Can we talk?"

Patton and Roman go off into a remote distance to talk privately, and Logan comes to stand next to Virgil. 

“You’re such a meddler,” Virgil jokes. “I’m getting deja vu here.”

“I am not a meddler," Logan says.

“Maybe,” Virgil smiles. “I’m pretty sure there’s a fire wizard and a sun wizard that would disagree with you.”

Logan rolls his eyes.

“-And a shape-shifter, a siren, two dragon-farmers-”

“Alright, you’ve made your point,” Logan says. “I like to help people when I can- sue me.”

“But either way, you’re a really good friend, Wanderer,” Virgil says.

“Thanks,” Logan says.

When Patton and Roman return, Virgil notices Patton, for the first time since cutting Roman out of the panic vines, looks similar to his old self, smiling. Roman, one the other hand, looks a bit vulnerable but less uncomfortable than before. 

The journey onwards has a much more comfortable air around it. While the forest grows darker- the trees tangling together, fitting together like a mesh around them and over their heads- the mood does anything but. 

Virgil almost forgot what he needed to do this far in the Underrealm until he’s staring at the familiar run-down house that is semi-absorbed by the surrounding dark foliage. It’s been so long since he’s been here, and yet, unlike so many other things in the Underrealm, barely anything here seems to have changed. 

“Are you ready?” Logan asks.

Virgil hasn’t been ready for years. He has never gone this far into the Underrealm since he left in the first place so long ago- the deep parts of the Underrealm is where the true danger is. Guard fairies, candor cicadas, and panic vines are nothing compared to what they could come across here. The fairies are more malicious, the creatures are more vulturine, and of course, there is the one person Virgil fears more than anyone.

And there’s also the fact Virgil wasn’t exactly able to leave the necromancer on the best terms, so getting his cooperation after not talking for so long is not going to be easy.

Virgil knocks on the door before he can psych himself out even more. 

After a few moments, a familiar necromancer with a half-scaled face and dressed in dark yellow opens the door. 

“Whi- oh,” the mismatched yellow and brown eyes focus on Virgil, and they widen in surprise. “Anxiety!” 

“Deceit.” 

* * *

Deceit stares at Virgil in shock. He's different enough that Deceit almost second-guessed himself- the purple clothes and darkened eyes are comfortably familiar, but Virgil is taller, holding himself up more confidently. 

But then again it's been a long time since Deceit has seen Virgil. He could have changed during the years- Virgil now could be not even close to the Virgil Deceit knew. 

“I didn’t think I would ever see you again,” Deceit says, carefully constructing a nonchalant demeanor. When Virgil virtually disappeared, it was so sudden- out of nowhere, with no explanation, he was just gone. Now, just as suddenly, he's back- Deceit doesn't know if he wants to smile, shout, or cry. He wants answers, but he doesn’t want to break down in front of the two strangers with Virgil to get them.

“I didn’t think I would be back here again,” Virgil says.

Virgil and Deceit stare at each other, not knowing what to say next. It’s awkward. They used to be so close, and now they’re as comfortable as strangers with each other. Virgil introduces the yellow one as Sunshine and the red one as Princey.

“I don’t know what I should ask first,” Deceit eventually says, crossing his arms. “Why you left or why you came back?”

“We came here because I need my time scythe back,” Logan says. _A time _what_? _Deceit thinks.

“What makes you think it’s here?” Deceit asks. 

“The letter you wrote specifying you stole it and I had to travel into the Underrealm to retrieve it,” Logan says, pulling the note from his pocket and handing it to Deceit.

Deceit inspects the note with furrowed eyebrows. “This is my handwriting… but there’s no way I could have written this.”

“Oh, what’s with you people and beating around the bush and being cryptic?” Princey mumbles. “What the heck do you mean?”

"I don't remember writing this note, I don't know anything about a time scythe, I don’t know any of you guys,” he gestures to everyone besides Virgil. “I don't know what you guys are talking about!"

Virgil is studying Deceit’s face carefully, but for what Deceit has no idea. “Do you remember when the last time you’ve created skeleton soldiers?” Virgil asks.

Deceit blinks, caught off guard by the change in subject. “Maybe a few weeks ago? Why do you ask?”

"Among other things, reanimated corpses attacked us on our way here," Logan says.

“That is an unfortunate encounter,” Deceit says. _And quite a bizarre one, _he thinks. While his reanimated corpses can move and act remotely based on what Deceit wants him to do, they never attack random people. Plus, he was sure he collapsed the last corpses he reanimated. “How are you guys faring

“What do you mean ‘how are you guys faring?’” Princey says loudly, startling everyone else. “You sent skeleton soldiers to attack us, and you’re asking how we’re faring?”

“I didn’t send them after you,” Deceit says.

“_What_.” 

“I didn’t attack you,” Deceit repeats. “I would have remembered that. I didn’t even realize Anxiety was in the Underrealm under you guys appeared on my doorstep. 

“Then who did?” Sunshine asks.

“I don’t know!”

“And there hasn’t been any other necromancers nearby?” Virgil asks.

Deceit gives him a pointed look. “What do you think?”

Virgil curses.

“So who else would have attacked us with the skeleton soldiers?” Logan asks.

A small glowing female figure wearing a green and golden dress with puffed sleeves darts out from behind one of the overgrown trees to float in fly of the group. “What a good question,” she smirks. 

Virgil’s eyes widen in fear. Pushing the others behind him, he quickly brings his arms out to the sky to call down lightning on her only for his hand to stop mid-action. He curses, then shouts “Run!” 

The fairy, unperturbed by Virgil’s unrest, simply looks from Virgil and Deceit to the others. “Oh my, looks like the Stealer of Names brought some friends.”

“Anxiety, what is she talking about?” Patton asks.

The fairy’s eyes widen in delight. “Oh you haven’t told them your name yet- were you leaving the honor to me?” she teased. Virgil opens his mouth to respond- to yell, cry, say _something- _but the fairy waves a hand, and no sound comes out. “Oh, I don’t care for your response right now, it doesn’t really matter, I just want to gloat to be honest.”

“...Anxiety?” Roman asks. 

“Marigold!” Deceit yells. “What are you doing to him? Stop it!”

“Oh hush, Deceit, wait your turn,” Marigold says, virtually dismissing and ignoring him. She throws her hand toward the air, and despite Virgil not wanting to do anything besides blast Marigold with lightning, Virgil’s own hand follows suit to his horror. 

Virgil _hates _this- he hates not being able to control his body or his magic, and not being able to look away from what he is forced to do. The worst part is he knows Marigold doesn’t need to make verbal commands or move her own body to control his- she just enjoys the added anguish on knowing what exactly he will be forced to do before his body does it.

“The true name of the infamous storm wizard of the Underrealm,” Marigold says like an announcer introducing a popular performer. “-With the alias Anxiety, known the Stealer of Names, is Virgil.”

Through Virgil, Marigold makes lightning strikes the ground as the clouds quickly cover the skies, casting yet another layer of darkness over the area. 

"And I am Marigold, the one fairy that has his name." 

* * *

“I didn’t steal any names, Marigold!” Virgil yells. Apparently Marigold has given Virgil back control of his voice- Logan winces at for what purpose. 

Virgil hasn’t told Logan much of what he endured before he escaped Marigold. What he does know is Marigold is brutal and devious. If she’s allowing Virgil to talk again, it means she’s convinced there is nothing Virgil can tell the others to help him escape her control. 

“Helping people be safe in the Underrealm and avoid losing their names to fairies isn’t _stealing _them," Virgil says.

"Listen Virge- can I call you Virge?" Marigold says.

"No!-"

"-Names are money, and you've cost me and the other Underrealm fairies way too much. It's time to pay up."

"Then leave my friends out of this!"

"But then this wouldn't be so much fun!" She says, forcing Virgil to strike down lightning again, this time the bolts are getting dangerously close to Deceit, Patton, Roman, and Logan. As his arms move by their own accord, Virgil only watches in terror as his magic is used beyond his control. “Do you know how much you getting loose the first time cost me? Do you realize just how much I lost because of you? You better believe I’m going to make you relive every ounce of the agony I’ve gone through!”

"Leave him alone!" Deceit yells, teeth bared and face full of rage. Behind him, various mounds simultaneously rise from the ground, revealing skeleton soldiers all in mismatching uniforms and sporting an assortment of weapons from spears to arrows to swords.

"Oh Dee, I almost forgot you were here. Thanks again for being so careless- for a lifelong Underrealm resident, I would have thought you would be the least likely to underestimate the dangers here." She chuckles. "No matter, it only made my job easier."

Deceit throws his hands in Marigold's direction, and the skeletons rush her. Unworried, Marigold doesn't flinch at all- not even bothering to dodge- until a skeleton's spear is within a foot of her face. "Dagian, stop!"

Like Virgil, Deceit immediately freezes, his hands still extended and his eyes wide in fear. Likewise, the skeletons are motionless as well. Marigold flies around the skeletons to sneer in front of Deceit. “Wha-?!” Marigold waves her hand, and Deceit no longer has control over his voice.

“Your talking was getting rather annoying,” she says. "Anyways, like I said, you were _careless-_ you didn't guard your name hard enough, you didn't notice the scythe housed in your home, you've somehow didn't take notice of the time-lapses resulting from me erasing your memories of what I made you do, and to top it all off, you announced your attack toward a fairy holding your name?" 

“Now time for some friendly fire,” Marigold says as Virgil and Deceit face each other; the skeleton soldiers unfreezing and preparing for an attack while Virgil conjures a hailstorm above them. “I’m curious to see if a necromancer can bring himself back to life and what exactly are the limits of a storm wizard.”

"Stop it!" Patton yells, his hands curling into fists by his side. "Just let them go, now!" 

Marigold pauses then turns to Patton. "You're right, what am I thinking?" Virgil and Deceit slowly turn toward the other wizards. With their hands raised and their movements eerie- half puppet-like jerking, half impossibly smooth- the only indication they are still themselves, still aware of what they are being used for, is the heartbreaking distress in their eyes. “Instead of having them take out each other, I can have them attack you first.”

The hail rush toward them as the skeleton soldiers throw spears and lodge arrows.

* * *

With the hail, arrows, and spears coming at them, Roman pushes Logan behind him and reaches for Patton to do the same, but Patton is walking toward the attack. Before Roman can try grabbing him again, there is an intense scorching heat and a bright yellow light out of nowhere that forces Roman to close his eyes.

Opening them again, he sees Patton in front of Roman and Logan with his hands spread out, and all the hail and weapons are gone. 

“Are you guys ok?” Patton asks, his voice low and serious, so unlike his typical lighthearted tone that Roman is taken back.

“Well, yeah,” Roman says, stunned. “but are you-”

Patton looks back to Roman and Logan with such an intense look Roman is startled into silence. Roman can’t remember the last time he’s seen Patton so determined and serious. “I can handle this- you guys find the scythe in the house.” 

“Wait-” Roman says, but Logan is already running and pulling him away from Patton and into the house. Looking back at Patton, Roman sees another wave of hail coming at them, only to be evaporated by another flash of blazing light. 

"Come on, we have to do this fast," Logan says hurriedly. 

"But Sunshine…" 

Logan stops and looks Roman straight in the eye. "He's going to be fine." 

"But he hasn't used his magic like this in forever."

"He's going to be fine, worst case scenario he’s a bit tired when we get back. Anxiety and Deceit, on the other hand, are being used by a fairy that doesn't care what happens to them. So we need to get my scythe, now. I need you to focus right now as I don’t have much magic defenses of my own without it, and I need your help with that, understand?”

Roman nods. 

“Great.” Logan continues pulling him toward the house. As the two travel closer and eventually enter the house, Roman’s firelight slowly diminishes until it’s barely more than candlelight. Concentrating, gritting his teeth, he tries to make the glow brighter, but to no avail.

“Could you give me more light?” Logan asks.

"No." Roman says shortly.

"Princey, it’s getting hard to see.”

“I know,” Roman snaps. “I know it’s getting hard to see, I know that my light is dying, and I’m trying but it’s not working, so no, I cannot give you more light.”

Logan glances backward quickly- even in the dim light his concerned, analyzing face is clear- before he continues searching in front of him. “Your light tends to diminish on its own at times.” 

“Yes…”

“And when it happens, it’s when Sunshine and you are walking away from each other.”

“Yes…”

“If you don’t mind me asking, does your magic… do you borrow some of his sun magic?” 

Roman rubs the back of his neck. “Not exactly.” 

“I can understand if you would like me to cease my questioning- I will stop if you ask me to- but if you were willing to share, I would gladly listen.” 

Logan and Roman's steps seem to echo as they navigate and search the dim lighted house in silence. As they make their way through the creaking floorboards, Roman wonders if the fragility of vulnerability is worth the anxiety of sharing.

"I can't tell the whole story here," Roman says slowly, calculating the words in his head. There is no longer time for mistakes. "Would you still want to hear it?"

"Of course," Logan says.

There are a few more steps before Roman decides where to start. 

"I have never been as strong as I should be."

"What do you mean?" Logan asks.

Roman starts talking. With both wizards on the lookout for Logan’s scythe, and not looking at each other, Roman can’t seem to stop the words once he starts. It’s terrifying, yes, but it’s also freeing. He tells Logan about his family’s legacy of incredibly strong fire magic, about all the magic prodigies he grew up but could never keep up with, about his grandpa giving up on him, about Patton being taken in by his family and the two becoming inseparable and eventually realizing their magics' effects on one another.

"Sunshine amplifies my magic with his," Roman explains. "When we were younger, it used enough of his magic that his magic incidences happen way less often. It was our little secret growing up- my family- they didn’t know why my magic had increased so much, but they were so proud of me. They actually liked me for once, it was so weird."

“Princey…” Logan’s heart aches. “I’m sorry you had to experience that.”

Roman shrugs. “It’s fine.”

“No, it’s not fine,” Logan says. “Look, the first time I left the Vales I was a teenager. It was a happy accident- I met Sunshine, and I got to see and learn about so many interesting things I’ve never seen up close before. It was wonderful. Then I came back home. Apparently, Immortal Vales knowledge is supposed to stay in the Vales, but no one had told me that before. I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone how the Vales or my powers operate, and I wasn’t supposed to let anyone even touch my scythe. I broke those rules, albeit not purposefully or knowingly, so as punishment my scythe was taken away and I was locked in a small room away from everyone.”

“It’s the environment I grew up in,” Logan says. “But that doesn’t make it a healthy one.”

“How long did they leave you in there?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Logan says. “My point is I know what’s it’s like to have a family like that, and I know that just because you’re used to it doesn’t mean it’s ok.”

Roman lets that sink in as they move further into the house. At the end of the hallway, there’s a doorway, intriguing Roman as it’s the only closed room door here. Pushing it open reveals a master bedroom littered with so many journals, photos, and papers, the walls and floor are completely covered. In the corner, a shiny gleam partially concealed by the journals on the ground catches Roman’s eye. He moves the journals off of it, revealing a scythe about as tall as he is. 

“Hey, I found it!” Roman says, grabbing it and running out of the room to Logan.

Logan pops out of the room he was searching. Roman tosses the scythe to Logan, who catches it easily, grinning. “Alright, let’s get back to the others. I got a surprise for Marigold.”

* * *

“You should’ve run away with your friends,” Marigold says smugly. 

“Don’t underestimate me,” Patton says. “This isn’t the first time I’ve defended myself against multiple wizards.” Patton sends an intense beam of sun magic toward Marigold, who darts to the side at the last second, barely avoiding it. The trees behind her get hit instead and instantly vaporize.

"I don't think you quite understand the situation you're in," Marigold says as a wave of hail heads toward Patton- which he evaporates with a blast of sun magic. 

"No you don't understand,” Patton says. “You put my friends through hell many times over. You've caused so much stress to Deceit and Anxiety.” He throws blast after blast at Marigold, who flies around sporadically until she flies directly in front of Virgil and stops momentarily. 

_Dang it, _Patton thinks. When Marigold uses Deceit and Virgil as a shield, he can’t exactly attack; either his magic attacks through Marigold and also gets to them or it only hits his stationary friends. 

Marigold chuckles. "Really, you see Virgil as your friend? You didn't even know his name before." A few skeletons run toward Patton with swords drawn, which he quickly vaporizes. "And I don't know why you feel any attachment to Deceit- he's flawed- both of them are, to be honest.”

"That doesn't matter- Anxiety and Deceit are still good people."

Marigold lets out a burst of shrieking laughter. "You think they’re good people? Do you any of what Virgil has done here? And Deceit- he’s a _necromancer- _do you know what necromancers have done to my kind? What these two have put me through?!" 

Thunder rumbles above them- the sky becoming even darker, so dark that Patton starts continuously releasing some magic to create a light source for himself.

“You know, I used to be like you,” Marigold says mournfully as another wave of hail falls down.

“You don’t know me or what I’ve been through.”

“I used to be trusting, lively, ignorant. But they couldn’t let sleeping dogs lie, and now the rules of life have changed.” 

"What are you talking about?"

"You should've asked Virgil and Deceit what they've done here in the past and why there are fairies when you had the chance."

From behind Marigold, Logan, scythe in hand, and Roman running toward her and Patton. 

“I’ll remember to ask them about it,” Patton says. "And you should've thought to look behind you."

Logan swings his scythe, slicing into Marigold. 

* * *

There's a bright flash, a scream, and then Marigold is gone. 

Virgil and Deceit, like puppets cut off their strings, immediately collapse onto the ground, groaning. The storm and rain slowly dissipate- darkness turning into a bright blue- as the skeletons simultaneously slowly melt back below the ground. Patton rushes over to Virgil and Deceit, while Roman stares in awe at Logan.

"Dude, did you just kill her?" he asks.

Logan shakes his head as he secures his scythe to his back. "I merely sent her to a different time." He pauses. "Though maybe her extreme reaction was due to the iron in my scythe? She is a fairy, after all- they have a weakness to iron."

"Can I get help over here?" Patton asks. Roman and Logan move over to Patton, who is now trying, and failing, to help the mostly unconscious Virgil and Deceit up by himself. Roman pulls Virgil's arm over his shoulder while Logan does the same with Deceit's, with Patton in the middle. 

During the repositioning, Virgil and Deceit groan.

"Hey Stormy and Snakey," Roman says. "Are either of you back with us yet?"

Virgil is unresponsive, but Deceit vaguely waves an arm. 

“How are you feeling?” Patton asks. “Can you stand?”

Deceit shifts his weight from Patton and Logan to more on his own feet. He takes only two steps before he collapses. Through to their grip on his shoulders, Patton and Logan pull Deceit back up and balance him.

“I feel mostly ok,” he says. “My legs feel kinda weak, though.”

"Guess you're still getting carried, then." Patton says.

“At least you’ve woken up,” Logan says. “That’s a good start.”

"And it means you can guide us out of here," Roman says. 

“Hypothetically, yes,” Deceit says. 

Roman furrowed his eyebrows. “What do you mean ‘hypothetically?’”

“It’s not like I exit the Underrealm every day, you know,” Deceit says.

“What, so you don’t know how to navigate around here? You’ve lived here so long, but you don’t know your way around?”

“Not exactly-”

Logan thinks about Deceit’s initial reaction to Virgil, Logan, and others arriving and the run-down state of Deceit’s home. 

“Deceit,” Logan says. “You don’t know how to leave, do you?” 

Deceit doesn’t respond. 

"You didn't have a clue where Anxiety was for years when he kept going in and out of the Underrealm, your house is incredibly aged, like you grew up in it and never moved out."

"I've lived here my whole life," Deceit says. "Why would I leave?"

“Why would you stay?” Virgil asks.

Surprised, all eyes snap to Virgil, still leaning heavily on Roman.

“I thought you were asleep,” Roman says.

“I’m not,” Virgil says, then turns back to Deceit. “Why would you want to stay here? Nothing good ever happens here.”

“You’re lying.”

“Dee, the plants and animals here are either dangerous or predatory, your parents left you here constantly; it’s not safe to stay here.’

“I was born here, I grew up here, I met _you _here, where else am I supposed to go?” Deceit’s voice gradually gets louder, more emotional. “What was I _supposed _to do?” The last question is so loud that Logan can’t help but flinch. 

“Please don’t yell,” Patton says, eyeing Logan’s reaction.

Deceit shifts his eyes between Logan and Patton. “Sorry.”

“I don’t know anything else but here,” Deceit says. “I didn’t have anyone close to me except my parents and you, and then my parents left again and again and eventually they didn’t come back and when I finally think I can handle it, you disappeared. What was I supposed to do?”

"Deceit," Virgil says softly, "I'm sorry about what you've experienced. And I'm sorry I contributed to your feelings of abandonment. I had to leave- staying here with Marigold knowing my name, I barely escaped her the first time.” He sighs. “I should have tried to explain why I left or tried venturing far enough to see you, but I was terrified of running into Marigold again. I thought staying out of the depths of the Underrealm would make it less likely to run into her again.”

“I still shouldn’t have done that to you, and I’m sorry,” Virgil pauses for a moment, appearing to ponder something. “You really shouldn’t stay here, Dee, but you could stay with me if you wanted? I live in the fields a bit outside the Underrealm. Or if you wanted to have your own space, I could help you look around?” 

Deceit blinks. “I’d like to stay with you,” he eventually says. “We have a lot of catching up to do.”

* * *

“Can I ask you two a question?” Patton says to Virgil and Deceit, as the group makes their way back out of the Underrealm.

Virgil shoots a glance at Deceit, who shrugs. “Shoot.”

“Were you able to hear what Marigold was saying when I was fighting her?”

Virgil winces. “-Fighting her while she used our magic? Unfortunately yes: even when she prevented us from talking or moving on our own, we were still aware of what was happening around us.”

Patton winces. “I’m sorry you two had to experience that. If she wasn't flying around so sporadically, I would've been able to attack her without risking hitting you two getting hurt. And the fight would have ended much quicker."

“Considering what you did to those trees,” Deceit says. “I’d prefer you not risk being hit by your magic at all. I like not being disintegrated, thank you very much.”

“Wait,” Roman says. “Sunshine, you’re the one who melted the trees to stumps? I thought that was due to the lightning storm.”

“Nope, that was all Sunshine,” Virgil says.

“Impressive,” Logan says.

“Anyways,” Patton says, changing the subject. “Do you guys know what Marigold was talking about at the end? About what necromancers have done to fairies and stuff?”

Deceit shrugs. “I don’t know. Maybe my parents did something, maybe they didn’t- I don’t particularly care either way. Besides, what could two people possibly due to dozens of fairies anyways?”

“You got to admit,” Patton says. “It’s rather weird that sometime between 15 years ago and now, fairies appeared out of nowhere.” 

"That's a fair point," Logan says. “Now that I think about it, it’s rather anomalistic for an entire species to pop out of nowhere without evolving from an existing species, even for the Underrealm.”

“That makes sense,” Deceit says. “Dragons evolved from large reptiles, and panic vines evolved from carnivorous plants.”

“How do you know that?” Roman asks.

“I’m a necromancer,” Deceit deadpans. 

“Ok, fair enough,” Roman says. “So what could fairies evolve from?”

“Considering their abilities, their evolutionary ancestor would need to be either a humanoid or a creature with shape-shifting abilities,” says Logan.

“And they would need some magic abilities as well,” Roman adds. “Because of what they can do with names they own.”

_Oh no, _Patton feels the blood running from his face. 

“But that eliminates everything but people,” Deceit says.

“That’s because it is people,” Virgil whispers, giving voice to what Patton was thinking. “Fairies used to be wizards like us.”

**Author's Note:**

> I will eventually add more to this series, and potentially do some flashback stories in this universe as well. In the meantime, comments are appreciated! 
> 
> Check out the-asexual-doesn't-approve's art at https://the-asexual-doesnt-approve.tumblr.com/post/187337823742/so-i-was-in-the-big-bang-this-year-by  
and @infinitesimally-patton's icons at https://infinitesimally-patton.tumblr.com/post/170912825344/some-witch-au-icons-i-really-like-the-patton-one


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